002

๑♡๑DIANA๑♡๑

Dusk came fast. Soon, the grand hall was packed with every unmated wolf in the territory.

The air was thick with merriment. Laughter echoed beneath glittering chandeliers. Music swirled softly. Excited whispers drifted across the grand hall.

Tonight was special.

Everyone anticipated the moment when the moon goddess would finally reveal their fated mates.

At eighteen most wolves find their fated mate.

There were exceptional cases, of course. But growing up, I heard the stories. The mate bond was the goddess’s greatest gift to us.

Even Nero and Noel seemed to cherish the mate bond.

It was sacred.

But I didn’t know how to feel about it. It felt exhausting to even think about.

But sometimes I couldn’t help but wonder… if I got a mate, would my life be better than it is serving the Alpha princes?

I sighed, just wanting to get past this night without any unfortunate incident.

I kept my head down, and balanced a tray filled with crystal flutes, weaving through the sea of noble wolves.

My wishful thinking lasted exactly three seconds.

Something caught my ankle, and the tray flew from my hands. My body slammed against the marble floor, and the glasses shattered with a deafening crash, spilling wine across the polished floor.

The hall instantly fell silent. Every gaze shifted towards me. I cursed underneath my breath and sat up slowly, ignoring their painful stares. But a broken shard of crystal glass sliced my finger.

I winced, recoiling from the pain as blood welled from my torn flesh.

Then I felt them before I even saw them. They stepped out from the crowd like figures stepping from a painting, the air shifting with their presence.

They were dressed similarly.

Nero was dressed impeccably, as usual, in an all-black regal attire with golden embroidery design. His short black hair was perfectly styled, his expression cold, and unreadable.

Noel wore a white attire. His white dress shirt was partly unbuttoned showing off his toned muscular chest and two golden pendant necklaces around his neck. His black hair was longer, brushing his collarbones.

His mouth curved with a dark smile as his eyes locked with mine.

My stomach knotted.

Noel circled me lazily before crouching in front of me. Two of his fingers slipped beneath my chin, forcing my face upward. His golden eyes glinted cruelly, entirely too pleased by my humiliation.

I instantly knew. He’d tripped me.

No one but him dared to mistreat me.

Everyone knew what I was to their future Alphas; their favorite plaything.

Once, someone had dared to hit me at one of their birthday ceremonies… Nero and Noel had the young wolf whipped and banned from their estate.

Then they’d decleared that I wasn’t to be touched by anyone but them.

Since then, no one dared touch me. It’d become my greatest shield and my worst amour.

Because that absolute immunity didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy the spectacle of my humiliation.

His gaze fell to my bleeding finger, and his expression changed. A look flickered across his eyes.

Before I could make sense of it, he snatched up my finger and brought it to his lips.

Without warning, he slid his tongue across it, lapping up the blood.

I flinched, his grip tightening when I tried to pull away. The look in his eyes made my breath hitch. My heart was pattered like a cricket ball, and my cheeks felt flushed.

I could barely muster a word. We were surrounded by pack members I didn’t dare look at. My brain was still trying to make sense of his sudden action when he finally pulled away.

My knees melted against the floor, but even the coolness couldn’t taper the heat of embarrassment I was feeling.

Then the look in his eyes vanished, replaced by his usual arrogant smirk.

That damn Noel. He was enjoying this… way too much.

I should have know he had an ulterior motive.

I was still slightly dazed with embarrassment when he leaned closer.

“You look flush, pipsqueak.” He whispered against my ear. I stiffened, red with spite and embarrassment. “Why is that?”

His face resurfaced in front of me when I don’t respond and he let out a low, smug chuckle.

"You sure love making a mess, pipsqueak." The corner of his mouth lifted with a wicked smirk.

I barely caught the amused laughter from the crowd surrounding us.

My hands fisted at my sides. "I didn’t…” My voice was rough. “You—”

His brows raised, daring me to finish. I lowered my gaze, clamping my bottom lip until I almost drew blood.

“I-I'm sorry, it’s my fault." The apology tasted like ash. “I’ll clean it up.”

His lips curved into that familiar smirk I had grown to despise.

"Good girl. That's better." He finally released my chin and rose gracefully to his feet, straightening his jacket with effortless elegance. "It's a grand night after all."

Just then, the bugle echoed across the palace estate; deep and heavy—the warning alarm.

It was almost midnight. Almost time for the run.

Beyond the towering windows, the full moon hung proudly over North-shore Pack, bathing it in silver light. Excitement spread across the hall like wildfire.

The full-moon run wasn't merely a tradition. Nothing compared to the exhilaration of racing through the forest with the wind beneath your paws and fur, and nature guiding your soul.

I’d only ever experienced that once—on the night of my first shift at sixteen.

The second bugle rang, and like water breaking through a dam, every unmated wolf surged toward the doorway.

As always, the twin Alpha heirs led the procession. They had searched for their mate every year since turning eighteen. Four ceremonies. Four failures.

Tonight was the fifth.

"Ashford." My last name rolled out of Nero’s mouth like a quiet command.

I hurried to his side, keeping my head down. The ritual never changed. I stepped in front of him and carefully unfastened the buttons of his black attire.

The surrounding she-wolves watched with poorly concealed envy, their glares burning holes into my back.

Every button I undid felt like a needle pressing into my skin. I don’t think I would ever get used to the pressure.

If looks could kill… I'd have died years ago.

Nero remained perfectly still—towering—like an invincible war god carved from stone. When I finished, I folded his clothes over my arm before stepping toward Noel and doing the same.

He wore a carefree smirk he didn’t bother to hide. He enjoyed servitude better than most noble wolves.

When the final button slipped free, I eased his white coat, vest, and shirt from his body before retreating with a short bow.

The twins strode to the front wearing only trousers. They shifted almost instantly, black and white shadows encircling their bodies.

I hate to admit it, but no matter how many times I witnessed their shift, it never lost its beauty.

Nero’s wolf emerged, enormous with terrifying power. His jet-black fur gleamed beneath the moonlight. Beside him, Noel's white wolf appeared like fresh snow beneath the stars.

Majestic. Elegant. And just as dangerous.

The third bugle sounded, finally signalling the start of the run at midnight.

The twins exchanged one silent glance before launching off in perfect unison, disappearing between towering pines and darkness as cheers erupted behind them.

The rest of the wolves followed afterwards.

Almost three hours had passed before they started to return. Most of them were half-clothed and clinging to their fated mates, staring into each other’s eyes like they caught stars in them.

Some others… Well, they weren’t so fortunate this year.

Then the twins emerged from the darkness, their faces hooded with a dark look. The air suddenly felt heavy with something edge and unspoken.

I knew at that moment that they hadn’t found their mate either.

But the moment they reached the doorway, something else stirred, and not just in the air, but within me as well. Softly, slowly, like a quiet tide moving beneath an unsettling undercurrent.

I felt it in my bones. And so did they.

They both froze at the same time. Golden eyes, like liquid fire, instantly locked with mine.

My breath caught. My heart skipped a tight beat, heavy as a boulder in my chest. A warm sensation pulsed beneath my skin.

For one impossible heartbeat, everything stood still.

Then my wolf finally stirred and uttered the word that shattered my world.

Mate.